One positive and three negatives from Arsenal's 2-1 FA Cup loss at Southampton

The quadruple charge is down to two trophies and, based on performance, it is exactly what Arsenal deserve.

Fans might have hoped for a response after the Carabao Cup debacle; a two-week break to recharge and see the team commit to a strong, end-of-season push to make up for their complete no-show at Wembley.

Instead, it was a continuation of that dismal effort as the Gunners made mistake after mistake, never looked to threaten the Southampton goal and ultimately paid the price as they bowed out of the FA Cup at the quarter-final stage.

One positive and three negatives from Arsenal's dreadful 2-1 FA Cup loss against Southampton

It does not look good for Mikel Arteta and his men; recent displays mean it could be yet another hard end to the campaign.

Here is one positive and three negatives to take from Arsenal’s awful 2-1 FA Cup loss at St Mary’s on Saturday night.  

Positive #1: Viktor Gyokeres keeps scoring

He bagged four goals over the international break and did his level best to keep Arsenal alive in this cup tie.

At the hour mark, the boss turned to his bench and brought on Viktor Gyokeres, hoping the in-form Swede would save the Gunners from defeat – just eight minutes had elapsed when the £64m striker duly obliged.

Okay, it was not the most spectacular goal; in fact, he could hardly miss as Kai Havertz had effectively engineered an open goal for him to aim at. But Gyokeres still took the chance well, in a game where some in attendance might have been worried about where their out-of-sorts team would find a route back into the match.

That strike puts him on 14 goals for this calendar year (across all competitions, for club and country) and, if this extreme level of underperformance persists, he might be left responsible for carrying the team over the title line.  

Negative #1: Unforced errors galore

Nothing that the fans have not seen before.

Arsenal made a lively start on the south coast yet they gave their hosts lots of encouragement and it should have cost them sooner than it did.

Cheap giveaways from Christian Norgaard and Myles Lewis-Skelly almost let the home team in while Gabriel mistimed his jump for a high ball, his ill-judged header sending Léo Scienza through on goal only for the forward to fluff his lines.

Despite their many warnings, the Gunners did not learn and Ben White then made the biggest error of them all; he inexplicably misjudged the flight of the ball and left Ross Stewart free to put the hosts in front.

Kepa gifted Manchester City the first goal at Wembley a fortnight ago – amid another poor collective display – and Arsenal, as a group, repeatedly shot themselves in the foot here, paying the price with an embarrassing cup exit.

That calamitous streak is perhaps the single biggest reason why Gooners and rivals alike are unsure of Arsenal in this title race. If they continue to play as they have done in the last two matches, then only further heartbreak awaits.

Negative #2: Gabriel Jesus disappoints

It feels unfair to pick out any one individual, such was the awfulness on display right across the whole group.

But Gabriel Jesus in particular showed he is not good enough.

He had next-to-no impact throughout his time on the pitch; never won a duel, had a cheap giveaway or two of his own and, on one occasion, his attempted take-on of the defender saw him run the ball out over the byline.

His performance is far from being the reason why Arsenal are out of the competition and maybe any striker would find it hard to make an impact on a night like this, when their team moves the ball with no urgency and constantly surrender it to the opposition.

Yet Jesus still infuriated with every one of his few touches and it adds to a catalogue of poor displays from him this season – unfortunately, it seems the constant injury troubles have taken a toll on him and he is simply not cut out for the job anymore.

He needs to move on this summer.

Negative #3: Is the season about to fall apart?

My heart really cannot take it again this year.

Arsenal fans are all too accustomed to the end-of-year collapse; two cup exits in their last two games does not bode well for how this campaign might end.

One might try to pick out the positives: the Gunners can put their full focus on what are, in truth, the two most important and prestigious competitions of them all. Furthermore, good players like Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke are coming back from injury and it might help Arsenal to regain a bit of composure down the home stretch (though the Gabriel substitution here gives the club some cause for concern).

But there is no getting away from the fact that two trophies have slipped through their grasp in only a few weeks, and the worst part is that it is totally deserved; they are playing badly when it matters most.

All the hallmarks are there for it to end up as another hard-luck story for Arsenal – for a team with so much quality, investment and a sizeable lead at the Premier League summit (along with a favourable UCL draw), that would simply be unacceptable.

The last fortnight has seen Arsenal stumble; further stumbles over the next two weeks and their year might well be finished.